IN DANGER AND DEEP DISTRESS,
THE MIDDLEWAY SPELLS CERTAIN DEATH
Directed by Alexander Kluge, 1974

In 1974, Kluge and good friend Edgar Reitz (the Heimat series) roamed Frankfurt for ten days with a camera capturing life in the city at that time—the political demonstrations, carnival fun, and debate within the congress for the SPD Party. Kluge interweaves the real-life footage with fictional threads about two very different women. One woman seduces men, sleeps with them, and then robs them blind; the other is a spy from the Eastern Bloc. In German with English subtitles.

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THE AGE OF CZESLAW MILOSZ
Directed by Juozas Javaitis/2011

This handsome documentary commemorates the 100th birthday of Czeslaw Milosz, the Nobel Prize-winning Polish-Lithuanian poet who spanned his century. Famous cultural figures, friends, and family retrace the life and work of this extraordinary thinker, joined by Milosz's own words and a wealth of archival material. More than a well-researched biography, The Age of Czeslaw Milosz is a lyrical reflection on a life spent in exile yet filled with humor, passion, and big ideas that often went against the spirit of the age.

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HOPPER'S SILENCE
Directed by Brian O'Doherty, 1981

One of the most recognizable works of American art, Edward Hopper's painting "Nighthawks" encapsulates the alienation and loneliness of the modern urban milieu. His haunting, enigmatic paintings are defined by a hard-edged realism and the presence of isolated figures alone in their thoughts. In life, Hopper was notoriously taciturn and seldom gave interviews or appeared in public. Director Brian O'Doherty, who knew Hopper and his wife, Jo, offers a rare documentary portrait of this aloof artist that is astute and revealing. O'Doherty compares the paintings to the locations that inspired them to suggest the connection between style and subject.

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THE LAST PULLMAN CAR
Directed by Kartemquin, 1983

In 1864, George Pullman began selling his famous railroad sleeping cars, which helped him build a vast industrial empire that was supposed to last forever. A model of the modern employer, Pullman had constructed a self-sustaining village for his workers just outside Chicago, with its own school, sewage system, and public works. However, nothing lasts forever, and by 1981, Pullman workers found themselves in the midst of a fight not only for their jobs but the future of the American rail car industry. The Last Pullman Car traces 100 years in the history of this unique company that grappled with government, union and corporate policies.

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THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM: THE UNTOLD STORY
Directed by Robert Buchar, 2012

In this eyebrow-raising documentary, director Robert Buchar argues that the threat Russia posed to the United States during the Cold War has not abated since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Instead, the same operatives who opposed the U.S. during the Soviet regime remain in power today, and have since gained the higher ground. Featuring former Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.

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